Bloomingdale’s Opens Second Carousel Concept
Bloomingdale’s has gone back in time.
For the second iteration of its
Carousel @ Bloomingdale’s concept, the department store turned to designer
Clare Vivier to curate “Past Made Present,” a concept that centers around nostalgic home goods, accessories and collectibles and includes a special men’s wear capsule based around the Eighties and Nineties hip-hop group Beastie Boys.
“Past Made Present” is the second iteration of Carousel, the retailer’s rotating pop-up concept that changes every two months. The first, in September, was called “Urban Explorer” and offered an assortment of tactical gear, street-inspired and functional fashion, tech and wellness products. The Carousel is located in 1,600 square feet on the main floor of the 59th Street flagship as well as in SoHo; San Francisco; Century City, Calif., and online.
“Beastie Boys were part of the soundtrack of my youth and it was a thrill and an honor to work with
Mike D,” said Vivier. “I always like to collaborate with artists outside the fashion industry and working with Mike to design two men’s capsule collections was supercool. He has an amazing eye for design and real attention to detail — he was a dream partner. I’m so excited for the Beastie Boys’ Book to be a part of our ‘Past Made Present’ Carousel — it feels extremely fitting.”
Mike D, the lead singer of the group, worked with Vivier on a special collection of reimagined concert Ts and skateboards featuring Beastie Boys images taken by Spike Jonze as well as a new Beastie Boys book that tells the story of the New York band.
Vivier also curated an assortment of men’s wear that includes Drake’s scarfs, Harris Wharf London’s tailored blazers, Brooks Brothers’ embroidered buttondowns, Herno’s wool coats, Bailey’s felt hats and Maison Labiche’s T-shirts.
For women, the assortment includes scarfs from Massimo, wool coats from Max Mara, and Herno, faux-fur coats by Unreal Fur, and Hermetica perfume, which is exclusive to Bloomingdale’s in the U.S.
Accessories from Vivier’s collection that will be offered include iPhone cases, sweaters and small leather goods.
The shop will also feature items centered around old-school activities such as game night that include handcrafted Luxe dominoes and backgammon sets, Christian Lacroix playing cards and tictac-toe sets. There are also candles from Harlem Candle Co., cashmere throws from Frete, and a selection of Globetrotter luggage that draws inspiration from steamer trunks.
The shop will feature a Kodak installation with a 3-D printer where customers can have their photo taken and then print out a figurine of that photo.
Frank Berman, Bloomingdale’s executive vice president and chief marketing officer, said the idea for “Past Made Present” is to “invite customers to reflect on elements of past days brought to life through unique items filled with nostalgia.” He said Vivier brought “her personal aesthetic of mixing old-world charm with modern-day living, which is what ‘Past Made Present’ is all about. This Carousel theme was chosen specifically for the holiday time period — a season filled with nostalgia and gift-giving. The shop is compiled of highly special, hardto-find items.”
Berman said the first iteration of the Carousel was “very successful. The project has been well received; part of the reason we introduced this initiative was to provide our customer with a unique reason to visit the store and we feel we’ve achieved this objective. Sell-through is also a benchmark for us and the shop has exceeded our expectations so far. We are committed to continuing this exciting concept and expanding it to additional locations.”
“Past Made Present” will feature events throughout the holiday season, including how to shoot film on a 35-mm. camera by Kodak, custom etchings by Master & Dynamic, and a Polo Ralph Lauren cashmere personalization station.
At the flagship, the shop has its own dedicated entrance on 60th Street between Third and Lexington Avenues.
The holiday-themed shop “Past Made Present” is centered around nostalgia and gifts.